Nasturtium

They can be found creeping along streams and drainage ditches in temperate regions of the world. Often mistaken for weeds, they have been cultivated in western gardens to border flower beds because they attract butterflies, hence, increasing pollination of more valuable blossoms. Its pungent odor also repels predatory insects. Fertilizing it more than normal proliferates leaves, which is fortuitous since they are the most edible portions. These leaves are shaped like miniature (3 to 5 Cm. in diameter) jousting shields with a peduncled face showing many fine veins. It is also known as Indian cress or yellow larkspur. They have a slight resemblance to butter lettuce in texture, and have a sligtly spicy, nutty taste.

There are 45 species of these annuals endemic to the high slopes of what is now Chile and Peru in South America, where aboriginal Quecha Indians used the leaves, flowers and tubers of this leaping vine for food. Related to The Brassicarea (Cabbage) Family, it is surprising it is not more popular for culinary dishes. Iron, iodine, and Vitamins A, B, and C are present in the plant. Transplanted to different parts of the world by Spanish explorers, they migrated to the function of adornment, mutating into different forms, textures and colors.

They have been given fanciful names in lands they invaded. Those with gilded yellow flowers are known as Moonlight; bright red ones, Empress of India; and white ones, Double Dwarf Jewels. More mundane, are Lampaka, in Tagalog, Uotakuresu, in Japanese, Xa Lach Son, in Vietnamese, Capuchina Nasturtia in Spanish, perhaps due to the resemblance of its leaves to a monk’s hood, or Espuela de Galan, and Chaga Seca by The Portuguese. A cultivated variation has existed from Ancient Roman times, known as Water Cress. It was popular in salads, particularly by those interested in losing weight. They are not meant to be cooked or dried. Some species are best propagated by cuttings, others by tubers, although seeds are available. Vulnerable to frost, they are best stored away during winter. Cuttings may be started by early spring if kept insulated under glass. They thrive in any soil as long as they are given some exposure to the sun, but not dried completely. The Japanese are particularly fond of this plant, which they use for more tangy salads and as additives to spice up bland fish soups. The flowers are slightly spicier than either leaves or tubers. The young tender pods can be pickled and substitute for capers. The most common type of leaves are green, but other species come in yellow, orange, red, purple and blue, one reason early colonists decided they were decorative plants.

I have seen them growing wild in Trinidad Valley, Benguet Province in The Philippines and as porch climbers, and on trellises in gardens in Manila. They were mentioned as possible food supplements during a Nutritionists convention in Cagayan De Oro recently. In the US, I was served a bed of it as an unfamiliar garnish in a health shop, a turkey sandwich enhancing the flavor of what I consider a rather bland fowl. Nasturtium is only one of the many botanical gifts extracted by early explorers from the new world, but a little recognized or acknowledged one. They are mysterious complements in seed catalogues, only to be plucked by the adventurous. Sampling them would be a challenge for the palate.